Carpe Diem

I became a fan of the Latin phrase for “Seize the Day” after becoming a huge fan of the movie, Dead Poets Society, when I was in high school.  In fact, on my first date with the stunning gal who would eventually become my wife, I wore a t-shirt that proclaimed “Carpe Diem.”  (Thank God she didn’t have good fashion sense at the top of her list of qualities in a prospective husband!)

I am thinking of this phrase today for two reasons.  Yesterday I went through some of my old childhood memory boxes and threw away a bunch of stuff that I good find no compelling reason to keep any longer.  In the process, I found the remnants of that old t-shirt, which I had cut out and framed once the shirt became so threadbare it was too tacky for even an old country boy like me to continue wearing.  And this morning as I was preparing to leave for work, my son made it clear how much he wanted me to stay home and spend the day with him.

(Once upon a time…)

At five years old, my son basically thinks I am the greatest guy on the planet and would love to spend most of his waking hours with me.  I recognize this will likely not always be the case.  Carpe Diem, Dad!

Do I need to spend all my time with my son, or even thinking about my son?  No.  I am the best father to him when I keep my life in the right balance, giving my best to the various areas of responsibility and opportunity in my life.

Do I need to be reminded now and then about how fleeting life is, and that I need to make the most of this time in my son’s life?  Absolutely!  The investments I make in him today will pay such huge dividends for him when he hits his teenage years, when he reaches adulthood, when he embarks on the journey of marriage, has children of his own, faces career challenges, deals with crises of faith, etc.

And so I find myself feeling both extremely grateful and sobered at the realization that my son longs for whatever I have to offer him.  God, help me offer him something of great value on each today you give me to share with him.

What have been some of the best ways you have found to invest in your children along the journey?